Psychologists note that for many years people could answer the question of what they do for a living without hesitation. After retirement, some individuals find that stating they are no longer working creates awkward pauses in conversation. This shift often brings an unexpected feeling of losing one's sense of identity. One person recalled beginning to describe themselves as retired at age sixty‑three and realizing they had mistaken being busy for having personal worth. The observation suggests that work can be closely tied to perceptions of self‑value. Experts advise that adjusting to retirement may require redefining sources of meaning beyond professional activity.